Riding The Throat Cancer Road

A Blog I hope that I keep up that will put perspective on just what I have experienced and what you can expect, God forbid, you should get it.
This Blog reads backwards from the most current to the beginning.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Today was my 3 month follow-up with Dr Rathfoot. Despite being a little sore (my fault from timing) all things look good so I get another 3 months. Stretching and injections may be in the future but for now he was impressed. This is twice now HBOT has been a God send in reversing the radiation damage.

I did however discover something not so good, I'm fatter than I thought. At 250lbs this is the most I have ever weighed and it means it is well past time to make some changes. Some say the Prednisone but I think equally guilty are Dr Peppers, Potato Chips, and Cookies. I was rather surprised to see I am that heavy. I told the nurse I'm not really over weight, I'm under tall. I got a laugh out of her.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

I apologize for not responding back when someone posts on here. A good friend called me yesterday, it was nice to hear from her, to check on me. She said her and David had wondered if I was ok since I hadn't responded back. It is nice that I have friends who care and were worried. It was also nice to hear from her and how she and her family are doing. I have this set up to where it is suppose to email me when comments are left and for whatever reason it has stopped doing that. I did notice that it restarted finally, a little late notifying me with Lori's comment, but maybe whatever the host's problem was is fixed. Every now and then I would check but I must have picked the ones where nobody had commented. I assumed that nobody was reading or had anything to say. I apologize for not looking a bit harder.

I'm not sure if I put that the second test showed the combination of
the Arthritis medicine and Prednisone were what stripped my Platelets or
not. I put off the second test, caught a bug then caught laziness. They
wanted me to stop the medicine and take pain medicine but I cut it in
half instead. I bought a cheap TENS Unit off Ebay and use that to ease
the pain. I remember having them do those treatments in Physical Therapy
when I was at UPS, seems I was tearing or stressing something out the
last few years, shoulders, elbow, ankles, knees. It actually works, even
with the cheaper one I bought. It is not a miracle and don't stop all
pain but it does enough. It is not evasive, addictive, and to my
knowledge has no side effects. I got a new one in a couple of weeks ago
that has reusable electrode pads, or at least I'm reusing them. Megan
twisted an ankle and it helped her heal faster.

Megan has a boyfriend! Yep, our baby is growing up. He is a nice boy, well I guess young man, big dude, 6'4". He graduated TSD (Tennessee School for the Deaf) but he is like Megan, actually seems to have more hearing that she does. I watched them and they talk sign language when they don't want us to know what they're saying, lol. Denise don't know sign language but I know some, how me and Megan converse when at the beach or in a crowd. I turn my head though, I don't want to ease drop. He probably don't know I know and she is a bit excited and maybe forgets I know, or maybe she knows I will stand to the side and give them some privacy. The hardest thing about being a parent is watching your kids grow up and have a life that you are not the center of. Megan is my work buddy too, so now I am alone, yet I am happy that should something happen to me and Denise, she will not be alone. Basically it is hard to share your kids, but part perhaps one of the circles in life where a parent has to love their children more than themselves, enough to let go. All three girls now have someone, all three are different and all three are good. I see a lot of Megan in this boy named Greg. There is a connection there between them and should it not work out I feel they will be friends either way. He is quite impressive so far. Megan use to say she is fat or ugly, or different. The only one of those that were true is the different part. I told her to the right person you will be perfect and to the wrong person you will never be enough. There is a right person out there, they just haven't surfaced yet. It is good to see her so happy and know that should that day come, all three girls will not be alone.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Happy Birthday Denise

Monday, May 4, 2015

The results came back on my blood work and Denise will fax them to Dr Bushkell this week after she goes over them with Deb to see what she thinks. My Platelets are low and I assume that means we don't have lunch, lol. Why they are low is a good guess. The Prednisone, Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma kicking it up a notch, who knows. Everything else seems to be OK she said, so that is a good thing. I figured something was up. I bump myself and bruise and I don't normally bruise. My skin also tears easily and I bleed like crazy. Of course it is always in the back of my mind what if the other cancer is back. I looked on WebMD and it says that fatigue goes with the low platelets, and there I thought it was because I'm fat. I figured the tired all the time was from the weight gain. I'm either fat or under tall and since my feet are going out of sight I figured fat. If it is the NHL I will not do anything more than I am now unless it would be natural. I will just ride it out and pray the ride ends fast.

It is spring and garden season, now to get it put out. We got it out last year but I just wasn't able to maintain it like I should have been able to do. This year we will do the green beans again, first time in 2 years. I tilled Charlie's garden with the Rotorvator, but he is not sure if he will get to put one out. It seems he is having a hard time too, but in a different way. He has a series of blood clot or something like clots in his right leg all the way into his foot. William can't help him with it either, he is down to 15% of his Kidneys and suppose to start Dialysis. Tina had a heart attack, but she is doing good. It has been a Hell of a year again. One thing is for sure, there ain't many of us left now to lose so maybe the newer generations will fair better. Mark was a plus, his sight in one eye has been restored and next is the other eye. Annie graduated RN school, there is yet another plus. We go Thursday to see her graduate or get Pinned or something, maybe both?

I think of something I heard that I liked and seems to be true. If you want to make God laugh, make plans. Certainly life has not quite turned out like I had thought when I was young, but that doesn't mean it didn't turn out. I have been blessed with the good times, and to have survived and eventually thrived through the bad. Not that I'm a Saint but in the journey I lost me way, but found it back again. I would say I found God, except it wasn't Him that was lost, it was me. If life had been easy that never would have happened, so I am blessed. It isn't this world we should seek but the next. Whatever comes of this will come and we will deal with it as best we can as long as we can. Its all good.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

I am awake tonight and kind of excited. Tomorrow morning I will get to sleep late. No up before 6, no 1 hour commute, no 2 hour treatment (dive), no 1 hour back commute. I encourage you to look into this if you suffer from Radiation damage, burns, or Diabetes and have a sore that won't heal. There is probably more this will work for too, but that covered the ones I done "Dives" with. The treatments are called "Dives" and one has a choice of the casket looking boxes where you get in an all clear box and lay down, or ones like I have done which are like a part of a Submarine (or large tank) that holds 10 plus an ENT. If you have a doctor that does not support it insist, and if that don't work find a doctor that wants to help you. I really don't see why a doctor would not want this for a patient that can benefit. If you think it looks claustrophobic, it is, but they will help you with that too. This saved my throat in 2010, and now in 2015 it has saved it again. Radiation is the gift that just keeps on giving. There has to be a better way.

I now retire my helmet but should I ever need to use it again, I would not hesitate.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Tomorrow, 4-2-2015, ends my HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) finally. I have done 60 treatments or as they are called, "Dives". This time I have finished my rounds and that is due to the excellent staff they have. A big Thank You is in order for Dr Hall, (2 doctors I don't recall the names), Sherri, Starla, John, Caleb, Charlie, and Brian. These people do a fantastic job. They have people who come and get you and take you home this time too, and I thank them as well. Jamie, Cindy, Bill, Billy, and James - those were the ones who drove me to and from. This will be Dive number 60. I thought Friday was 60 but hey, I'm tickled that Thursday is the last one. I was with a great group of people too and I will keep them in my prayers that they too heal well and complete. We had a good group, people came and went, but all were good people. Just in case the ones who were there for radiation damage to their throat like I was, hang in there, you got this. None of this would have been possible if not for Dr Rathfoot, who I thank so ever much. I get to keep my throat, at least for now.

I had a follow-up with Dr Bushkell, didn't go as good as it could have but more along the lines I thought it would. He is an excellent doctor. The NHL (T Cell Lymphoma) is advancing, which I have been blessed that this is 10 years now that it moved slow. I will see if the sun helps and if not if the Narrow Band Ultra Violet Light Therapy (NBUVB) treatments will back it off along with my ointment, but if not then it is what it is. He offered and I declined some of the treatments that are pretty harsh. I am so tired. This is the hardest time, night when I am still. The itching and pain can break through to keep one from sleep. Usually Advil and making a bed in the floor helps. I've had worse, lol.

I finished a small greenhouse with Megan's help. I still want to place 2 shelves inside it but it could be used as is if I wanted to. I used the cheap plastic from Lowe's instead of the expensive greenhouse plastic. It didn't turn out as clear as the one I saw a guy on the web build but this was my first time and I wanted to get my feet wet before spending 100 bucks on a good plastic. Good thing I did too, this takes skill, which I do not yet have but I will the next time. On Youtube it is called the Tx Prepper Greenhouse and really simple to make plus fairly cheap too. I did make a few changes in mine though. Megan has learned a simple build now too, so that is great.

I wish everyone a Happy Easter and for those who celebrate Passover, a happy one.